-LRB- AOL Autos -RRB- -- Since there have been cars , people have chosen their rides based on what their cars say about them . AOL Autos put a list of cars before automotive industry experts to capture their take on several popular cars .

Drivers of the dependable Camry know what 's important in life , says expert .

Our panel consisted of Stephanie Brinley , senior manager at Auto Pacific ; James Bell , editor and publisher of IntelliChoice and Jim Markwalder , veteran automotive consultant from Detroit . Rest assured , these experts did not pull any punches .

Toyota Prius : Green no matter its color

Brinley looked through the company 's vast data on the Toyota Prius .

`` Buying a Prius shows the world that you love the environment and hate using fuel , '' said Brinley . `` Compared to the overall industry , Prius buyers are more often women , have fewer kids and more often have college educations . ''

Bell adds , `` New Prius buyers want to be part of the ` green ' club . ''

`` Prius drivers like the video-game challenge of continuously trying to best your own fuel economy achievements , '' said Brinley . Markwalder opines : `` There 's a good chance that if you come upon a line of slow moving traffic , a Prius driver will be at the front of the line , self-righteously driving under the speed limit on his or her way to save the world . '' We 're just quoting here , folks .

Chevrolet Corvette : Performer for the mid-life crisis

The Chevy Corvette `` seems to be more often a reward car . Its buyers are older than the industry average , with 88 percent born before 1946 , according to Auto Pacific data . Only 11 percent of Corvette owners are in Gen Y or Gen X. '' Bell adds : `` Sadly , the usual stereotype of the Corvette buyer as a 57-year old male deep in a mid-life crisis is proven . ''

Better car than its image suggests

Bell sees another side to the Corvette . `` It is the absolute greatest performance bargain on the planet , '' said Bell . `` It 's an affordable giant-killer . ''

Markwalder adds , `` There have been 1.5 million Corvettes produced since 1953 , and while plenty of old guys drive them , they are an engineering marvel that will run 180 mph or return 30 + mpg highway fuel economy . ''

Toyota Camry : A major transportation appliance

`` I think the Camry gets a bad rap for being the ` microwave oven ' of the car industry , '' said Bell . `` It 's boring , reliable , efficient , and common . But to many drivers , these words are exactly all they are looking for , making the Camry their own personal rock star . A Toyota Camry in the driveway tells everyone that you know what is important in life , and it 's not your car . ''

Dodge Challenger : The transcendent pony car

The Dodge Challenger looks more like its original than the 2010 Ford Mustang or Chevrolet Camaro . According to Brinley , the Challenger appeals to Baby Boomers who like styling and power . But almost 30 percent of Challenger buyers are Gen X or Gen Y. Surprisingly , this beats out the Prius , a more forward-looking vehicle ; only 18-percent of its buyers are Gen X or Y.

Auto Pacific 's data shows that the Dodge Challenger is winning buyers too young to remember the original 1970-74 Challenger . `` All ages stop and stare at this car , '' said Bell . `` Especially when it 's in Hemi Orange , from old-skool Hot Rodders to the Import Tuner crowd . '' This wide appeal makes pegging the Challenger owner more challenging .

Ford F-150 : Working man 's truck

According to Auto Pacific data , the driver of a Ford F-150 work truck -LRB- a plain , regular-cab model -RRB- , is an employed man . Markwalder confirms with this : `` Basic Ford trucks , like the XLT , make a good tool for the guy who works hard for an honest living . '' Bell adds , `` We 'll see fewer non-work trucks because using them for commuting has lost its shine . ''

Mercedes-Benz R-Class : A marketing mystery

`` With 2008 sales of only 7700 vehicles , we do n't have enough information about buyers to provide a strong picture of why somebody drives an R-Class , '' said Brinley . `` The more expensive GL-Class and ML-Class SUVs each sold three times as many . '' Markwalder states , `` The R-Class has always been a contradiction , looking like a minivan but not delivering on functionality . ''

Bell quips , `` My experience tells me that its few buyers are attracted to its three-pointed star -LRB- badge appeal -RRB- or the large discounts because the R-Class has n't sold well . '' The R-class , a `` tweener '' that is somewhat minivan , somewhat wagon and somewhat crossover , has few rivals . Only the Ford Flex and the new Toyota Venza seem to come close .

Experts ' first thoughts

Bell on Chrysler Sebring Convertible : `` I hope it 's a rental . '' Brinley adds , `` It 's an old person 's cars , with only four-percent of its buyers from Gen Y. '' Bell on the Honda Insight : `` They 're members of the Prius Alternative Club for Honda lovers . '' Markwalder on Smart ForTwo : `` Experimenters with a sense of humor who would rather sprint away from a light than hold up traffic . ''

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The model of car you drive may be telling people all about you

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Prius drivers : College educated , want to be part of the `` green club ''

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Corvette : An `` affordable giant-killer '' for men in midlife crisis

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Smart ForTwo : `` Experimenters with a sense of humor '' who sprint away from stops